The present invention relates to a thermoengine with a displacement element analogous to piston strokes and operating particularly by converting thermal energy into mechanical energy.
The internal combustion engine is a type of engine which generates thermal energy through combustion and converts that energy into mechanical energy. Generally speaking, these engines are reciprocating pistons, rotary pistons or turbines. The conversion of thermal energy into mechanical energy as such is, however, independent from the actual construction of the machine. These machines use the phenomenon known as internal combustion according to which fuel burns at an accellerated rate producing pressure energy which is in one way or another converted into mechanical movement. It is known, however, that all of these machines are more or less noisy, produce pollutants and contaminants and run relatively inefficiently. Since the production of combustion is the modus operandi of these machines, the fuel must be used under conditions in which the generation and sustaining of combustion is the primary prerequisite. All other factors are secondary. While improvements on isolated aspects are still conceivable, the known internal combustion engine cannot be considered an optimum type of machine for converting theremal energy into mechanical energy.